Well, hello, and welcome
to the 3ABN Worship Center,
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right here in beautiful
Thompsonville, Illinois.
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We welcome all of you and
are so always appreciative
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of you being part of
these sermons that we're doing.
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We've got a wonderful
series, Pillars of Faith,
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and Pastor Jim
Gilley is our speaker.
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And he is doing
an incredible job,
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this is the fifth in his series.
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Let me read you
the other titles.
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Our Great High
Priest was his first one.
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God's Witness, Protection
Plan was his second one.
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Grace, Truly
Amazing, the fourth one.
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The Cross of
Christ, and then tonight,
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we're going to hearing
Forgiveness for Freedom.
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So, I want you to
just encourage you.
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Be sure and allow this
message to touch your heart
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and minister to your heart.
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Pastor Gilley has a way
of presenting God's word
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in such a powerful way
that it sets the captive free.
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And if you haven't
heard the first four,
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they're always
available for you to get.
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But now, let me read you
the scripture for this evening.
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The scripture
says, and this is out of
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Mathew 18:21-35.
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So let's read this together.
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"Then Peter came to
Him and said, 'Lord,
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how often shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him?
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Up to seven times?'
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Jesus said to him,
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'I do not say to
you, up to seven times,
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but up to seventy times seven.'
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Therefore the kingdom of
heaven is like a certain king
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who wanted to settle
accounts with his servants.
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And when he had
begun to settle accounts,
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one was brought to him
who owed him 10,000 talents.
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But as he was not able to pay,
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his master
commanded that he be sold,
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with his wife and
children, and all that he had,
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and that payment be made.
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The servant therefore
fell down before him, saying,
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'Master, have patience with
me, and I will pay you all.'
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Then the master of that servant
was moved with compassion,
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released him, and
forgave him the debt.
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'But that servant went out
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and found one of
his fellow servants
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who owed him a hundred denarius,
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and he laid hands on him
and took him by the throat,
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saying, 'Pay me
what you owe me.'
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So his fellow servant fell
down at his feet and begged him,
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saying, 'Have patience with
me, and I will pay you all.'
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And he would not, but
went and threw him into prison
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till he settled the debt.
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So when his fellow
servants saw what had been done,
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they were very grieved,
and came and told their master
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all that had been done.
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Then his master,
after he had called him,
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said to him,
'You wicked servant.
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I forgave you all that
debt because you begged me.
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Should you not
have had compassion
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on your fellow servant,
but as I had pity on you?'
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And his master was angry,
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and delivered
him to the torturers
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until he should pay
all that was due to him.
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'So my heavenly
Father also will do to you
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if each of you, from
his heart, does not forgive
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his brother his transgression.'
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" So we had the
reading of God's word
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as it penetrated our hearts,
let's pray now and ask God,
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by the power of His
Spirit, to take the word
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that goes forth tonight,
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settle it deep
within our hearts,
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and will be changed
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from glory to
glory into his image
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and into his likeness.
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Holy Father, we come before you
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in the name of Jesus,
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and we praise you,
and we thank you, Lord,
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for the power
that is in your word
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to change us into your
image and into your likeness.
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I thank you, Holy
God, for the anointing
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that rest upon
our brother Gilley,
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thank you, Holy God,
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for the word that is
stored within his heart,
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that he will bring forth tonight
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under your unction
and under your anointing
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that it will touch
us, it will set us free.
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Now we command this
hole series into your hands
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and ask for your divine guidance
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Pastor Gilley, we welcome you.
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Thank you, Mollie.
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Well, it is, and has
been such a wonderful time
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to be here this weekend.
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To visit with all of
those that I worked with
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for almost eight years,
had a good visit with Danny;
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with Brian Hamilton, and
with Mollie, and with C.A.
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and with the production
group, which I value so much
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because they are
such wonderful people.
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Those that are
back in the studios
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and are turning the levers
so that you get a picture,
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they work very, very hard
to try to get the message out.
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And I had tried
to encourage them
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to realize that they work hard,
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it's almost a
day-to-day just grind.
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And I tell them,
please, don't forget
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that people at home
are seeing the gospel,
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and people that have
never heard about Jesus
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are hearing about Jesus
because 3ABN is on the air.
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That's make a big,
big difference, my friend,
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a very big difference.
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Our story today is the story
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that Jesus shared with Peter.
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You remember that Peter, as
Mollie had read in the text,
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Peter was so proud of himself
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because he'd been
with Jesus for awhile
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and he had seen that
Jesus expanded the love
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and the gospel.
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And so he said, you know,
he heard about forgiveness,
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and he said, "Lord how often
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shall my
brother's sin against me
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and I forgive him,"
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and then he
answers his own question.
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He doesn't wait; you know,
there are people like that.
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They'll ask you a question,
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and before you can
answer the question,
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than they answer it.
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And he thought, I
really have an answer.
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You see the normal
thought during that time
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had been by Rabbi
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who had preceded Christ on
this earth about 200 years.
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'Cause no one precedes
Christ, he's from everlasting,
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but he had been there
in Israel about that time.
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Rabbi Ben Yehuda,
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a very popular and well
known rabbi and teacher.
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One the principles
that he established
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was the
principle of forgiveness.
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And he said that
you can forgive a person
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or you should be
forgiving a person
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about three times, three times.
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In other words, three
strikes and you're out.
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After three times, you have
no obligation to forgive anyone
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who continues to
"Sin against you."
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So, Peter, he thought, wow,
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I'm gonna more than double that.
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He said, I've
heard the Lord used
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the sevens so many
times and I think seven times,
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that's twice what Ben
Yehuda said, plus one.
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So he said, "Lord, seven times?"
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And then the Lord surprises him,
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and he says,
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"I do not say to
you up to seven times,
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but up to seventy times seven."
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490.
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What he really is saying
is there's no limit, no limit.
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He could have
said 700 times 7000.
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And because his whole
point is there is no limit
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to the forgiveness that we,
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we should be
willing to give to others.
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So you see, this is
a tremendous passage.
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And then Jesus tells the story.
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He tells the
story of this Stewart.
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And Stewart was like Vice
President over a division.
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He was the man that had
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a great deal of
business under him.
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And he had been
doing the best he could,
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probably, to make things work,
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but it didn't,
had not working out.
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He was responsible
if there was a profit,
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he would receive a
portion of the profit.
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And he and the king would share
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that portion of the profit.
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But if there was a loss,
he had to sustain the loss.
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Now he was given the
assets that he could go out
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and makes all of
this money worth.
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And if he was
careful in his investments
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then he would do very well.
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But this Stewart
was somewhat reckless
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and he evidently put some
money into some investments
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that just did not pay off.
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And he, it was like
a multiplying factor.
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I had friends that
got involved in futures,
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in the stock market.
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And they could lose
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multiple amounts of money faster
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that way just buying
a single stock, I guess,
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because I've not met one yet
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that did well with
that type of thing.
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Now, I'm sure there
are people that do you?
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But none of the
friends that I've met.
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And this man
gotten into something
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that had absolutely wiped out
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everything that
he had to invest,
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and he was terribly in debt.
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Now he's been likened to
about ten million dollars
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that he owed.
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Now, it would,
personally, there was no way
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that he could pay that back.
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And he was not going
to be give an opportunity
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when he was
loosing money like this,
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not going to be
given an opportunity
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to be given more money to invest
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and then try to make it back
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because this would have foolish.
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That's just putting
good money after bad,
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as they say.
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So the king said,
"'I'm sorry, you're through."
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Now, in those days, in
order not only to punish
00:11:28.35\00:11:32.15
but to recoup something at least
00:11:32.19\00:11:35.22
they would sell the person
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and his entire
family in the slavery.
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That is a pretty
terrible sentence.
00:11:41.70\00:11:46.67
To go from being
the Vice President
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and the head of a division
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to now you are
paid to be nothing.
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You receive no pay,
you are a slave, a slave,
00:12:00.25\00:12:07.12
belonging to somebody.
00:12:07.16\00:12:10.39
And not only
you, but your family.
00:12:10.43\00:12:12.99
They had nothing to do with.
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Your wife had nothing to
do with your poor investments,
00:12:14.86\00:12:17.67
your children had nothing
to do with your poor investing.
00:12:17.70\00:12:21.04
And now they're too
are gonna be slaves.
00:12:21.07\00:12:25.21
And this man was overcome,
he just cried out and he said,
00:12:25.24\00:12:29.84
" Oh, I just can't handle
this, I just, oh, Lord, please,
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" and he went down on his
knees and appealed for his wife.
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I'm sure, he probably said,
00:12:40.59\00:12:41.92
"Look, please, at
least let my family go."
00:12:41.96\00:12:47.00
And the king
began to listen to him,
00:12:47.03\00:12:50.80
and finally he
said, "I've heard you.
00:12:50.83\00:12:56.30
I'm going to resent my
order, you're going to be free.
00:12:56.34\00:13:01.44
You can go and back to your job,
00:13:01.48\00:13:05.68
" because when he made him free,
00:13:05.71\00:13:07.62
he reestablished him
back in that position.
00:13:07.65\00:13:10.52
He gave him all
of the privileges
00:13:10.55\00:13:13.72
that he had before.
00:13:13.76\00:13:15.52
He was probably given new assets
00:13:15.56\00:13:19.66
for which to operate,
00:13:19.69\00:13:22.26
and given another opportunity,
and his slate was wiped clean.
00:13:22.30\00:13:28.57
He didn't have to worry
about that ten million anymore,
00:13:28.60\00:13:32.31
not at all.
00:13:32.34\00:13:34.31
Can you imagine
that? Totally free.
00:13:34.34\00:13:38.01
And you would be think now
that he'd be so filled with joy
00:13:38.05\00:13:44.12
and with appreciation
that he would extent
00:13:44.15\00:13:47.56
that same kind of
mercy to other people.
00:13:47.59\00:13:52.96
For sure he would,
you can see that this man,
00:13:52.99\00:13:56.13
now he's going to be the most
forgiving person in the world,
00:13:56.16\00:13:59.47
he's wherever he goes,
if there's in any problem,
00:13:59.50\00:14:02.70
he is going to be forgiven
because he's been forgiven.
00:14:02.74\00:14:09.14
You know something,
it didn't work that way.
00:14:09.18\00:14:15.18
In fact, it was all
most like he said to himself,
00:14:15.22\00:14:18.05
"You know, I've been relax,
00:14:18.09\00:14:21.32
the reason that I
got into so much trouble
00:14:21.36\00:14:24.49
is I was just too relax.
00:14:24.53\00:14:26.76
I've got to tighten up.
00:14:26.80\00:14:28.16
I've got a run a
tighter ship, I got to make sure
00:14:28.20\00:14:31.03
that things are run
better around here."
00:14:31.07\00:14:34.07
And as he leaves and goes out,
00:14:34.10\00:14:36.74
he sees the man
that owes 20 bucks, $20.
00:14:36.77\00:14:43.71
And he says, "I
want you to pay me
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.25
and I want you to
pay me right now."
00:14:45.28\00:14:47.15
The man says,
"Whoa, wait a minute,
00:14:47.18\00:14:48.52
I don't have that
kind of money on me.
00:14:48.55\00:14:52.05
I don't have it."
00:14:52.09\00:14:53.99
"You are going to pay
me or you're going jail.
00:14:54.02\00:14:56.93
And you going to pay me now."
00:14:56.96\00:15:00.36
And the man says, "I can't."
00:15:00.40\00:15:02.66
He says, "All right,
then you're going to jail,
00:15:02.70\00:15:06.97
you're going to jail, I'm
going to take you to right now,
00:15:07.00\00:15:09.80
I'm gonna take you
down and turn you in,
00:15:09.84\00:15:13.38
and you're going
to have to pay me
00:15:13.41\00:15:18.35
or you're going to jail."
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.62
The man say, "I
don't have the money,
00:15:20.65\00:15:23.35
so I guess better just,
you better put me in jail."
00:15:23.39\00:15:27.16
You know all the other people,
00:15:27.19\00:15:29.52
the employees of the
king and the servants,
00:15:29.56\00:15:34.10
they had heard
about his forgiveness
00:15:34.13\00:15:36.33
and they were happy about that.
00:15:36.36\00:15:38.77
They were happy that he was
not going to sold into slavery.
00:15:38.80\00:15:42.87
They were happy that he was
not going to have his family
00:15:42.90\00:15:47.78
become slaves.
00:15:47.81\00:15:49.44
They were thrilled that they,
00:15:49.48\00:15:51.21
and they knew that
this is the kind of person
00:15:51.25\00:15:53.55
they work for now,
there was a man of mercy,
00:15:53.58\00:15:57.22
and this just
thrill their hearts.
00:15:57.25\00:15:59.75
And they knew that
because he had been forgiven,
00:15:59.79\00:16:03.29
they just thought of course,
00:16:03.32\00:16:04.76
he's going to be
forgiven person too.
00:16:04.79\00:16:06.90
He's going to be a
little easier to live with.
00:16:06.93\00:16:11.23
But they were wrong
and they were shocked.
00:16:11.27\00:16:16.91
And the next thing they
did was to go to the king
00:16:16.94\00:16:22.18
and tell him what
has just taken place.
00:16:22.21\00:16:25.81
He said, "What?
00:16:25.85\00:16:27.98
You mean
00:16:28.02\00:16:30.75
that he didn't forgive that $20
00:16:30.79\00:16:36.56
or at least give that person
00:16:36.59\00:16:37.99
a chance to come
up with it in time.
00:16:38.03\00:16:40.60
Put him in jail?"
00:16:40.63\00:16:42.76
"Yes, he did."
00:16:42.80\00:16:45.13
"Wow," he said,
"I'm resenting my order.
00:16:45.17\00:16:49.94
He is going to pay;
00:16:49.97\00:16:54.18
he's going in this servitude.
00:16:54.21\00:16:59.88
He's not doing in the jail,
he's going to be a servant,
00:16:59.91\00:17:03.95
and so as the
rest of his family."
00:17:03.99\00:17:06.89
And he put all of
that back on that man.
00:17:06.92\00:17:11.49
Now, Jesus said in these
words when he told this story,
00:17:11.53\00:17:15.93
"So, my Heavenly
Father also will do to you,
00:17:15.96\00:17:20.87
if each of you, from his heart,
does not forgive his brother,
00:17:20.90\00:17:27.84
his trespasses."
00:17:27.88\00:17:30.68
That's pretty strong.
00:17:30.71\00:17:32.38
You know something, no
where else is scripture
00:17:32.41\00:17:35.78
does Jesus resent this
and no place else in scripture
00:17:35.82\00:17:40.32
is there some
explanation that says,
00:17:40.36\00:17:43.86
oh, that's not
what he really meant,
00:17:43.89\00:17:45.59
what he really
meant was something else.
00:17:45.63\00:17:47.53
He really meant
what he says here.
00:17:47.56\00:17:52.70
You know it is so important
to understand this principle.
00:17:52.73\00:17:58.97
In fact he put in
to the Lord's prayer.
00:17:59.01\00:18:03.75
Forgive us our debt as
we forgive our debtors.
00:18:03.78\00:18:09.15
In the same way that we forgive,
00:18:09.18\00:18:11.55
we're to be forgiven.
00:18:11.59\00:18:13.39
Boy, do you want to be
forgiven the way you forgive?
00:18:13.42\00:18:17.69
Do I?
00:18:17.73\00:18:20.10
Listen there's
times I've stopped
00:18:20.13\00:18:22.26
and studied about this, and
thought about this, and said,
00:18:22.30\00:18:25.23
"Lord, I need a
lot of forgiveness.
00:18:25.27\00:18:29.40
Am I a lot of a forgiver?
00:18:29.44\00:18:32.77
Does my forgiveness equal
that forgiving which I need.
00:18:32.81\00:18:38.81
Does it?"
00:18:38.85\00:18:41.85
And I think that each
one us has to ask ourselves
00:18:41.88\00:18:46.62
that question, I'm I a forgiver?
00:18:46.65\00:18:52.66
When I was in Idaho years ago,
I was there helping a church
00:18:52.69\00:18:58.53
and I had
sometime during the day,
00:18:58.57\00:19:01.47
and so I went out to
the old state prison.
00:19:01.50\00:19:07.38
I wanted to see
about Harry Orchard.
00:19:07.41\00:19:11.55
Harry Orchard was probably
00:19:11.58\00:19:13.58
one of the most
celebrated assassins
00:19:13.62\00:19:16.35
in the history of this nation.
00:19:16.38\00:19:19.25
He killed the
Governor, the former Governor,
00:19:19.29\00:19:23.43
he already served his term,
00:19:23.46\00:19:25.39
Governor Frank
Steunenberg of Idaho.
00:19:25.43\00:19:30.00
He blew him up.
00:19:30.03\00:19:31.57
Now, he had tried
several times to kill him before
00:19:31.60\00:19:34.17
but he had not quite succeeded.
00:19:34.20\00:19:36.24
But on the last time he
did it, it was a horrible,
00:19:36.27\00:19:39.17
horrible crime.
00:19:39.21\00:19:40.54
Steunenberg was
alive for about 20 minutes
00:19:40.58\00:19:43.55
right outside of his house.
00:19:43.58\00:19:45.98
His wife and
children were there,
00:19:46.01\00:19:49.25
and then he died
before help could even come,
00:19:49.28\00:19:53.62
exploded by bomb.
00:19:53.66\00:19:56.83
Harry Orchard was hiding
nearby had denoted that bomb
00:19:56.86\00:20:01.13
that he had placed there.
00:20:01.16\00:20:03.57
They caught him.
00:20:03.60\00:20:05.03
Harry Orchard was
assassin for the Unions,
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.97
and the Unions were very
much upset with the governor
00:20:08.00\00:20:13.24
because the governor,
when he was actually in office
00:20:13.27\00:20:17.35
had brought troops in
to stop a labor disputes.
00:20:17.38\00:20:23.72
And they would never
forgive him for that.
00:20:23.75\00:20:26.82
They told him,
"You'll pay for that.
00:20:26.86\00:20:28.56
You'll pay for
that with your life."
00:20:28.59\00:20:31.16
He knew that he
was on their list,
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.46
and then finally they got him.
00:20:34.50\00:20:36.97
Harry Orchard had
killed for the unions
00:20:37.00\00:20:40.54
all over the country
and had done so many times.
00:20:40.57\00:20:44.17
Later on he told and
confessed to all these.
00:20:44.21\00:20:47.28
At first when they caught
him he pleaded not guilty.
00:20:47.31\00:20:50.65
And the Union hired
the very best trial lawyer
00:20:50.68\00:20:55.88
in the nation, Clarence Darrow,
00:20:55.92\00:20:58.32
famous in all the
history of trail lawyers.
00:20:58.35\00:21:02.99
He is right in the top ten
00:21:03.02\00:21:05.39
of the most famous trial lawyers
00:21:05.43\00:21:08.23
in the United States.
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.90
He came, he told, "Of
course, Harry Orchard,
00:21:10.93\00:21:13.23
stick with your story.
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.10
I'll get you off.
00:21:15.14\00:21:17.11
I know how to do this."
00:21:17.14\00:21:19.54
And he began, but right
in the middle of the trail,
00:21:19.57\00:21:25.65
Harry Orchard
came under conviction.
00:21:25.68\00:21:29.85
First of all he was presented
00:21:29.88\00:21:34.99
by Frank Steunenberg's family
00:21:35.02\00:21:39.29
with some tracks
and with a little book
00:21:39.33\00:21:43.57
called Steps to Christ.
00:21:43.60\00:21:46.60
Was brought to him by
Steunenberg's 21-year-old son,
00:21:46.63\00:21:52.34
he was Julian.
00:21:52.37\00:21:54.48
And Julian had
brought it from his mother,
00:21:54.51\00:21:58.25
who was Bell Steunenberg's.
00:21:58.28\00:21:59.81
See, Bell Steunenberg had become
00:21:59.85\00:22:02.02
a Seventh-day Adventist
00:22:02.05\00:22:03.59
by reading a magazine
called The Centennial.
00:22:03.62\00:22:06.45
This is magazine that
preceded Liberty magazine.
00:22:06.49\00:22:10.49
And about 10 years
before that, they had discussed
00:22:10.53\00:22:13.80
the possibility of
not having anything
00:22:13.83\00:22:16.16
in their about the Sabbath,
and Ellen White had a dream.
00:22:16.20\00:22:21.40
In her dream was that
they should have something
00:22:21.44\00:22:26.04
in each issue about the Sabbath.
00:22:26.07\00:22:30.11
So they resented the vote
that they had the day before
00:22:30.15\00:22:34.62
'cause she came
and she told them,
00:22:34.65\00:22:36.15
"I had dream last night
that this was not right,
00:22:36.18\00:22:39.09
that we should have
that message in their."
00:22:39.12\00:22:43.19
The Centennial was
sent to every governor
00:22:43.22\00:22:46.29
and every office
holder in the United States.
00:22:46.33\00:22:49.63
Governor Frank Steunenberg
received The Centennial
00:22:49.66\00:22:52.63
and he read it in his office.
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.54
He knew that his
wife love to read.
00:22:54.57\00:22:57.31
So he took it home
among some other magazines
00:22:57.34\00:23:00.21
to his wife.
00:23:00.24\00:23:01.88
She read it, she
began to keep the Sabbath,
00:23:01.91\00:23:06.68
and she joined a little
group of Sabbath keepers
00:23:06.72\00:23:11.25
there in Boise, Idaho,
00:23:11.29\00:23:13.76
the Seventh-day Adventist group.
00:23:13.79\00:23:17.56
Later, she gave
them a part of land,
00:23:17.59\00:23:22.80
and it was on that land
that they built the first Boise
00:23:22.83\00:23:26.97
Seventh-day Adventist Church
came from Bell Steunenberg.
00:23:27.00\00:23:32.01
She loved the Lord,
she loved this message.
00:23:32.04\00:23:35.88
She also sent, little later on,
00:23:35.91\00:23:39.28
tracks to Harry Orchard
00:23:39.31\00:23:43.72
about the Sabbath,
00:23:43.75\00:23:46.99
and he accepted it,
and he was baptized,
00:23:47.02\00:23:49.92
and became a
member of that church.
00:23:49.96\00:23:51.93
So he had never
been able to attend,
00:23:51.96\00:23:54.00
he was baptized by
the conference president
00:23:54.03\00:23:56.60
in the penitentiary.
00:23:56.63\00:23:58.73
But he was a
member, has membership,
00:23:58.77\00:24:00.90
voted unanimously
by the members there.
00:24:00.94\00:24:04.97
And but it was
during this trail,
00:24:05.01\00:24:07.61
during that conviction
that he said to himself,
00:24:07.64\00:24:11.45
"I want God's forgiveness
00:24:11.48\00:24:14.25
and if I need God's forgiveness,
00:24:14.28\00:24:16.42
I cannot lie about my guilt."
00:24:16.45\00:24:20.02
Clarence Darrow was furious.
00:24:20.06\00:24:24.29
We were gonna win this case.
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.39
I've no question about it,
00:24:26.43\00:24:28.43
and you've got mixed up
in this religious thing.
00:24:28.46\00:24:32.33
Lord should let you know,
it's more important for me
00:24:32.37\00:24:36.97
to have God's forgiveness
and to have the freedom
00:24:37.01\00:24:41.64
that comes from
being forgiven by God
00:24:41.68\00:24:45.61
and being
forgiven by this family.
00:24:45.65\00:24:47.92
Because they had
gotten the word to him
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.65
that they forgave him.
00:24:50.69\00:24:52.02
Now they knew that he had this,
00:24:52.05\00:24:54.12
the sentenced to
what he was sentenced to
00:24:54.16\00:24:56.49
but they still forgave him.
00:24:56.52\00:24:58.93
By the way, he was
sentenced to death,
00:24:58.96\00:25:01.16
and they did write to the judge
00:25:01.20\00:25:03.97
and asked that that
sentenced be changed,
00:25:04.00\00:25:07.60
and it was to life imprisonment.
00:25:07.64\00:25:10.77
Harry Orchard lived in
that Boise penitentiary
00:25:10.81\00:25:14.71
the rest of his live,
46 years he was an inmate.
00:25:14.74\00:25:19.61
And they loved him so
much, he talked about the Lord.
00:25:19.65\00:25:23.22
He studied the Bible with all,
00:25:23.25\00:25:25.95
it's many of the prisoners
that would study with him.
00:25:25.99\00:25:29.79
And they allowed
him to actually build
00:25:29.82\00:25:32.39
a little cabin just outside
the walls of the penitentiary.
00:25:32.43\00:25:37.67
Right there, and let
him live in that cabin
00:25:37.70\00:25:42.50
rather than living in the cell.
00:25:42.54\00:25:46.71
He was there
till the day he died,
00:25:46.74\00:25:48.71
he's buried right there.
00:25:48.74\00:25:50.88
Do you know something
my friends, he had freedom,
00:25:50.91\00:25:55.38
freedom, because
he had been forgiven.
00:25:55.42\00:25:59.62
He had received freedom.
00:25:59.65\00:26:01.02
And the Steunenberg has freedom
because they had forgiven him.
00:26:01.06\00:26:05.89
They were not bound
by hatred any longer,
00:26:05.93\00:26:08.30
there's nothing in
this world that will bind us
00:26:08.33\00:26:11.40
as much as
holding on to a grudge.
00:26:11.43\00:26:15.90
And they had freedom.
00:26:15.94\00:26:18.57
Wow. Forgiveness.
00:26:18.61\00:26:22.08
That's why God
tells us to forgive,
00:26:22.11\00:26:24.25
it's not necessary,
00:26:24.28\00:26:25.61
it's not just for the person
00:26:25.65\00:26:26.98
that needs that
forgiveness from us,
00:26:27.02\00:26:29.92
it is for us to
forgive ourselves
00:26:29.95\00:26:36.36
to wipeout that feeling
that we harbor inside of us.
00:26:36.39\00:26:42.40
You know recently, not long ago,
00:26:42.43\00:26:45.10
there was terrible
shooting over in South Carolina.
00:26:45.13\00:26:49.90
You remember
that, it was Charleston,
00:26:49.94\00:26:52.91
and it was a church called
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
00:26:52.94\00:26:57.15
it was known as Mother Emanuel.
00:26:57.18\00:26:59.35
And a young man who was deranged
00:26:59.38\00:27:02.72
went into that place
and he killed nine people.
00:27:02.75\00:27:08.36
And two days later,
00:27:08.39\00:27:11.69
they charged him
in South Carolina,
00:27:11.73\00:27:15.56
when they charged somebody
00:27:15.60\00:27:18.13
then the family can
come and make a statement.
00:27:18.17\00:27:22.70
And the families of
those nine victims were there.
00:27:22.74\00:27:27.14
And they said, "We understand
that their certain procedures
00:27:27.18\00:27:31.28
that have to happen
00:27:31.31\00:27:32.65
and this man has to
pay for what he's done.
00:27:32.68\00:27:35.62
But we want him to
understand and the world,
00:27:35.65\00:27:40.06
we're not going to riot
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.29
as people
expect we are going to.
00:27:42.32\00:27:46.09
And so we're not gonna do that."
00:27:46.13\00:27:47.86
That was Norvel Goff, the
pastor made that statement.
00:27:47.90\00:27:52.47
And then, Anthony
Thompson, a relative of Myra,
00:27:52.50\00:27:57.11
one of the
people who was killed,
00:27:57.14\00:28:00.38
and were shot
over and over again,
00:28:00.41\00:28:02.91
said, "We forgive.
00:28:02.94\00:28:05.58
We, the
families of these victims
00:28:05.61\00:28:09.72
forgive this poor man.
00:28:09.75\00:28:12.09
So, forgiveness
of Jesus, and we hope
00:28:12.12\00:28:15.62
that he will
receive Jesus Christ
00:28:15.66\00:28:19.83
as his personal savior."
00:28:19.86\00:28:21.66
They were now
free from that hatred
00:28:21.70\00:28:24.70
because they had been willing
00:28:24.73\00:28:29.04
to follow the
teachings of Jesus,
00:28:29.07\00:28:33.07
and to let it go, to forgive.
00:28:33.11\00:28:37.25
You see, Bible says that David
00:28:37.28\00:28:40.95
was a man after God's own heart.
00:28:40.98\00:28:44.55
David, he was a
sinner, he committed adultery,
00:28:44.59\00:28:47.06
he committed murder,
he was an absolute sinner,
00:28:47.09\00:28:50.53
how could he be a man
after God's own heart?
00:28:50.56\00:28:54.60
But you look at David.
00:28:54.63\00:28:56.80
When he had the
opportunity to kill Saul,
00:28:56.83\00:29:00.70
he was forgiving
Saul in his heart
00:29:00.74\00:29:03.27
because he didn't do
it, didn't act on that.
00:29:03.30\00:29:06.91
His son Epsilon
turned against him,
00:29:06.94\00:29:09.04
tried to kill him,
tried to take the kingdom.
00:29:09.08\00:29:11.71
When his son was
killed he balled, he cried,
00:29:11.75\00:29:17.85
in whole absence, wept
that 'It were I instead of you."
00:29:17.89\00:29:23.99
He had that
heart of forgiveness,
00:29:24.03\00:29:27.96
willing to forgive others.
00:29:28.00\00:29:30.97
And because he
was, he was forgiven.
00:29:31.00\00:29:36.14
He's a big
forgiver, he was a big sinner,
00:29:36.17\00:29:38.57
but he was a big forgiver.
00:29:38.61\00:29:41.18
And if you are a big sinner,
you better be a forgiver.
00:29:41.21\00:29:45.75
And that's what David was.
00:29:45.78\00:29:48.98
And God said, "He's a
man after my own heart."
00:29:49.02\00:29:53.96
Why?
00:29:53.99\00:29:55.32
Because God is the
biggest forgiver of all.
00:29:55.36\00:29:59.69
God not only forgives, he
wipes it out of his memory.
00:29:59.73\00:30:03.50
It's just like a computer
being having it all wipe clean,
00:30:03.53\00:30:07.50
and we'll had that experience,
where we lost programs,
00:30:07.54\00:30:11.97
totally gone, wiped clean,
00:30:12.01\00:30:16.48
God says, "I
wipe my memory clean
00:30:16.51\00:30:21.18
of anything you've ever
done when I forgive you."
00:30:21.22\00:30:25.99
But he says, "I'm
only asking one thing.
00:30:26.02\00:30:28.99
First of all that you confess."
00:30:29.02\00:30:30.63
If we confess
our sins, 1 John 1:9,
00:30:30.66\00:30:33.33
"He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:30:33.36\00:30:37.10
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:30:37.13\00:30:40.94
So He ask us to confess.
00:30:40.97\00:30:42.64
Secondly, He ask
us to forgive others.
00:30:42.67\00:30:49.21
Forgive us our debts
00:30:49.24\00:30:52.51
as we forgive our debtors.
00:30:52.55\00:30:57.75
Forgive our sins in
direct proportion to the way
00:30:57.79\00:31:01.26
that we forgive other
people who sin against us.
00:31:01.29\00:31:05.69
That's a decoration by Him.
00:31:05.73\00:31:09.26
And it's not easy
folks, it is not easy.
00:31:09.30\00:31:11.73
One of the most difficult things
00:31:11.77\00:31:13.13
that Christians ever
ask to do is to forgive.
00:31:13.17\00:31:16.17
Oh, you can forgive somebody
00:31:16.20\00:31:17.61
for talking your
parking place at Walmart.
00:31:17.64\00:31:22.41
How many times
that has happened to me,
00:31:22.44\00:31:24.35
I could never count,
00:31:24.38\00:31:25.91
that I'm just about to
pull into a parking place
00:31:25.95\00:31:28.38
and somebody whops right in,
00:31:28.42\00:31:31.25
and you see they are
coming from the wrong direction
00:31:31.29\00:31:33.92
and then make a quick
deal, get in just enough
00:31:33.96\00:31:36.29
to where they got you blocked,
and you have to drive home by.
00:31:36.32\00:31:40.23
Now you can't cease to forgive.
00:31:40.26\00:31:42.40
But if somebody
destroys your family,
00:31:42.43\00:31:46.20
somebody kills
someone in your family,
00:31:46.23\00:31:50.97
somebody hurts
one of your children,
00:31:51.01\00:31:54.48
or they steal your identity
00:31:54.51\00:31:59.18
and destroy your credit.
00:31:59.21\00:32:02.08
Now you're talking about
something that's different.
00:32:02.12\00:32:06.79
Now you're talking
about a real exercise,
00:32:06.82\00:32:10.99
and you and I have
to get on our knees
00:32:11.03\00:32:14.46
and plead with the God,
who has the forgiving spirit
00:32:14.50\00:32:18.43
to share that
forgiving spirit with us.
00:32:18.47\00:32:22.30
So that we, can
truly have the freedom
00:32:22.34\00:32:28.14
that comes when we
have forgiven others.
00:32:28.18\00:32:33.18
You know, it's a wonderful thing
00:32:33.21\00:32:35.38
to be forgiven.
00:32:35.42\00:32:36.99
It is just beautiful;
00:32:37.02\00:32:38.65
I will tell you something
that happened to one time.
00:32:38.69\00:32:42.76
I, Camille and I finished
school at South Western,
00:32:42.79\00:32:47.70
it was a Junior
college in those days,
00:32:47.73\00:32:49.53
two years of college.
00:32:49.56\00:32:50.90
Now we had the opportunity
to go on to Union College
00:32:50.93\00:32:54.90
or to Southern Missionary.
00:32:54.94\00:32:57.41
Those two schools were
in sync with South Western.
00:32:57.44\00:33:02.78
Somebody was urging
us to come up to Andrews,
00:33:02.81\00:33:08.65
a good friend of mine.
00:33:08.68\00:33:10.42
And they said,
"If come on up here,
00:33:10.45\00:33:11.89
you get your last
two years of college
00:33:11.92\00:33:13.59
and then you gonna go seminary,
you're already in place."
00:33:13.62\00:33:17.23
I'd ready had my mindset
on going to Union college
00:33:17.26\00:33:20.80
because, that's where
all of my friends are going.
00:33:20.83\00:33:23.57
By the way, that's where
my grandson is right now.
00:33:23.60\00:33:27.04
Jimmy the III,
he's at Union college.
00:33:27.07\00:33:30.27
And I was thinking
about going to Union,
00:33:30.31\00:33:32.14
I had so many friends there.
00:33:32.17\00:33:34.64
Camille's father was the
pastor of the church at Southern
00:33:34.68\00:33:37.71
and they wanted us to come
to Southern and go to school.
00:33:37.75\00:33:41.88
Camilla leaned more
towards going to Southern.
00:33:41.92\00:33:45.82
So we compromised
00:33:45.85\00:33:48.12
and went to Andrew's University.
00:33:48.16\00:33:52.19
Now, we did not realize
that their academic program
00:33:52.23\00:33:57.97
was not all in
sync with the program
00:33:58.00\00:34:01.94
down at South Western.
00:34:01.97\00:34:04.67
And that we were going to lose
00:34:04.71\00:34:08.14
a year of
education by doing this.
00:34:08.18\00:34:14.32
We didn't realize
until we got there
00:34:14.35\00:34:16.25
and we started trying to
get all the subjects going,
00:34:16.28\00:34:19.25
and all of a sudden, we realized
00:34:19.29\00:34:20.76
wait a minute that
won't even transfer,
00:34:20.79\00:34:23.22
because we teach
that in upper biennium
00:34:23.26\00:34:26.49
and you took it in the
first two years of college.
00:34:26.53\00:34:29.46
So, it's not recognized here.
00:34:29.50\00:34:31.50
And I am about to go berserk,
00:34:31.53\00:34:35.20
I spent hours in
the registrar's office.
00:34:35.24\00:34:40.44
In fact years later,
00:34:40.48\00:34:42.04
they invited me to
comeback there to teach.
00:34:42.08\00:34:47.02
And the registrar
made the statement,
00:34:47.05\00:34:50.62
"We haven't recovered
from his being a student yet.
00:34:50.65\00:34:53.42
I'm not sure we could have him
on the faculty at this point."
00:34:53.46\00:34:56.39
Because I had spent
so many hours in there,
00:34:56.42\00:34:59.46
arguing with
them about subjects.
00:34:59.49\00:35:02.56
There were some subjects
that they didn't give me
00:35:02.60\00:35:05.10
any credit for it all,
and some I had to take over.
00:35:05.13\00:35:09.37
Take hermeneutics for
instance, which is preaching
00:35:09.40\00:35:12.57
down in the junior college,
00:35:12.61\00:35:14.51
they said, "No, you
have to take it again."
00:35:14.54\00:35:16.78
Well, I did
mind, that one so much.
00:35:16.81\00:35:19.21
I was taking 20-21 hours,
00:35:19.25\00:35:21.45
when most people
were taking like 16 hours.
00:35:21.48\00:35:24.72
And so I just had
a heavy, heavy load,
00:35:24.75\00:35:27.72
and working to
try to go to school.
00:35:27.76\00:35:30.13
And so then, we had to
do some correspondence.
00:35:30.16\00:35:33.76
Camille and I went out to Idaho,
00:35:33.80\00:35:35.73
worked on a fire tower,
00:35:35.76\00:35:37.63
and that summer I did a
11 hours of correspondence.
00:35:37.67\00:35:41.10
I think she did 8
hours of correspondence.
00:35:41.14\00:35:44.37
And then we
went back to Andrews,
00:35:44.41\00:35:46.91
there was nobody out
there to give us the test.
00:35:46.94\00:35:49.04
Went back to Andrews
00:35:49.08\00:35:50.51
and one of the people there
was gonna give me the test.
00:35:50.55\00:35:54.92
And the test comes
to me, I give it to him.
00:35:54.95\00:35:58.39
He opens it up, looks at
it puts back in the envelope,
00:35:58.42\00:36:02.06
and says, "Bring it
to such and such a place
00:36:02.09\00:36:05.59
and you'll will take the test,
00:36:05.63\00:36:07.26
when you get the like,
next Sunday or something,
00:36:07.30\00:36:10.93
when he had time go give it."
00:36:10.97\00:36:14.40
I had so busy, we were
down to the final test week,
00:36:14.44\00:36:20.08
studying for all
of other subjects.
00:36:20.11\00:36:23.65
I had those test in an envelope
that wasn't even sealed.
00:36:23.68\00:36:29.32
Now I had studied those subjects
00:36:29.35\00:36:31.12
and I knew those
subjects and, but I just kept,
00:36:31.15\00:36:37.06
I guess it was honestly,
00:36:37.09\00:36:39.69
almost more
curiosity than anything else.
00:36:39.73\00:36:42.13
I wonder what's on the test.
00:36:42.16\00:36:45.43
And I thought and
fought, and fought,
00:36:45.47\00:36:47.54
and lost the battle.
00:36:47.57\00:36:49.24
In the middle of the
night studying, I said,
00:36:49.27\00:36:53.74
"I'm gonna take a quick peak."
00:36:53.78\00:36:55.64
And I did, and I was so sorry
immediately that I had looked
00:36:55.68\00:37:02.48
because I actually knew
00:37:02.52\00:37:04.69
what are the questions
that we're gonna be there,
00:37:04.72\00:37:06.72
I knew the answer to them.
00:37:06.76\00:37:08.66
Every single one of them.
00:37:08.69\00:37:10.93
And I thought,
oh, why did I do that?
00:37:10.96\00:37:14.96
And I should have confessed
to the professor, but I didn't.
00:37:15.00\00:37:19.70
And that bothered me.
00:37:19.73\00:37:22.10
That bothered me.
00:37:22.14\00:37:23.47
These were
correspondence courses
00:37:23.51\00:37:26.07
that were offered by
home study institute.
00:37:26.11\00:37:32.21
I went into the ministry
00:37:32.25\00:37:36.48
and this still bothered me.
00:37:36.52\00:37:39.42
You know, something
like this on your conscious,
00:37:39.45\00:37:42.06
it just bothers you so much.
00:37:42.09\00:37:44.89
And so I went,
00:37:44.93\00:37:46.96
we were going down
through Washington DC
00:37:47.00\00:37:49.90
and I told my wife,
00:37:49.93\00:37:52.63
"I'm gonna go to
home study institute
00:37:52.67\00:37:55.90
and I'm going to
tell them what I've done.
00:37:55.94\00:38:00.28
If I've take that course
over again, I'm gonna do it."
00:38:00.31\00:38:05.78
And so I walked
into the presence
00:38:05.81\00:38:07.55
of the home study
institute, but just I went in,
00:38:07.58\00:38:10.09
I'm standing out in
the lobby, out by the desk
00:38:10.12\00:38:13.66
waiting for an
appointment and I look up
00:38:13.69\00:38:17.06
and there is a
register from Andrews.
00:38:17.09\00:38:21.16
And I thought
what is he doing here?
00:38:21.20\00:38:23.80
Then all these
things go through my mind.
00:38:23.83\00:38:26.80
All the president has
to do is to walk out here
00:38:26.84\00:38:30.11
and tell him what I did.
00:38:30.14\00:38:32.77
My degree will be nullified,
00:38:32.81\00:38:35.74
this is gonna
open a can of worms,
00:38:35.78\00:38:37.75
it's gonna be unbelievable.
00:38:37.78\00:38:39.85
And my temptation was
forgot this confession thing
00:38:39.88\00:38:43.79
and get out of here.
00:38:43.82\00:38:46.59
I said, "No, Lord,
even if they take my degree
00:38:46.62\00:38:49.72
and they strip me of the degree,
00:38:49.76\00:38:52.53
I got to make this right."
00:38:52.56\00:38:55.53
So I walked in to
the president's office,
00:38:55.56\00:38:59.50
wonderful man,
00:38:59.53\00:39:01.50
was president of home
studies for so many years.
00:39:01.54\00:39:05.07
Walked into his office
00:39:05.11\00:39:06.47
and told him
exactly what I had done.
00:39:06.51\00:39:12.11
He looked at me
and I told him, I said,
00:39:12.15\00:39:16.89
and here, the Harrison is
right out there in the lobby.
00:39:16.92\00:39:19.85
He said, "I know where he's."
00:39:19.89\00:39:22.32
Now he said, "I
want you to look at me."
00:39:22.36\00:39:25.06
And I looked at
him, and he said, "Now,
00:39:25.09\00:39:29.80
I'm the president
of this organization."
00:39:29.83\00:39:32.60
I said, "That's right."
00:39:32.63\00:39:35.40
"I've the authority."
I said, "That's right."
00:39:35.44\00:39:38.91
"And by authority,
I'm forgiving you."
00:39:38.94\00:39:43.78
I said, "What?"
00:39:43.81\00:39:46.21
He said, "I am forgiving you."
00:39:46.25\00:39:51.29
I said, "Oh, do you mean I
don't have to do anything?"
00:39:51.32\00:39:54.46
"You don't have to do anything
00:39:54.49\00:39:56.73
but walk out of
here totally forgiven.
00:39:56.76\00:40:02.20
He said, "It took a lot
for you to walk in here?"
00:40:02.23\00:40:04.77
I said, "Oh, yes, it
did, but I expect to pay. "
00:40:04.80\00:40:08.17
He said, "No,
00:40:08.20\00:40:09.70
don't you know and understand
about the grace of God
00:40:09.74\00:40:12.84
and how God forgives.
00:40:12.87\00:40:15.31
If God can forgive," he says,
00:40:15.34\00:40:17.65
"as a man, I can also forgive,
I've given that authority.
00:40:17.68\00:40:22.65
And I want you to
know that never again
00:40:22.68\00:40:26.79
do you have to worry
about this, you are forgiven. "
00:40:26.82\00:40:33.80
I walked out of there, I
was, I was walking on air,
00:40:33.83\00:40:37.23
I even said hello to
the registrar on my way.
00:40:37.27\00:40:40.10
And actually we had
become such as advisory
00:40:40.14\00:40:44.54
that we had a
respect for each other.
00:40:44.57\00:40:47.18
If maybe not a liking,
00:40:47.21\00:40:48.54
at least a
respect for each other.
00:40:48.58\00:40:50.68
And I stop by and
visiting with him for a moment
00:40:50.71\00:40:53.42
before I headed
out and join Camilla.
00:40:53.45\00:40:57.29
And we got in
out little Volkswagen
00:40:57.32\00:41:00.02
and headed back down the road.
00:41:00.06\00:41:02.89
Oh, my friend, to be
forgiven, God forgives.
00:41:02.92\00:41:06.33
I had never, ever had
anyone forgive me like that.
00:41:06.36\00:41:12.03
Never had that ever happen.
00:41:12.07\00:41:13.60
You know,
sometimes you're parents,
00:41:13.64\00:41:16.00
you do something, boy,
our family, you paid for it.
00:41:16.04\00:41:19.57
I mean, you took the punishment,
00:41:19.61\00:41:21.78
that was it, there
was always some punishment
00:41:21.81\00:41:24.78
that went along with it,
00:41:24.81\00:41:26.18
even if there was
sort of a mean look,
00:41:26.21\00:41:29.45
there was a
punishment that went along.
00:41:29.48\00:41:33.15
And now, to be totally forgiven.
00:41:33.19\00:41:36.79
Oh, you know what that
made me want to be, a forgiver.
00:41:36.83\00:41:42.36
Number of times in
my life since that time,
00:41:42.40\00:41:47.30
I've people who actually
steal large amounts of inventory
00:41:47.34\00:41:52.81
when I was running a business
and things of that nature
00:41:52.84\00:41:55.94
and I was able to look at him
00:41:55.98\00:41:58.88
and say, "You're forgiven.
00:41:58.91\00:42:03.85
You're forgiven. "
00:42:03.89\00:42:06.39
And what a feeling
that was to pass along.
00:42:06.42\00:42:11.63
The only time I never
got really chance to do
00:42:11.66\00:42:13.66
was when I never got chance
to see the person afterwards
00:42:13.70\00:42:16.73
because they took off and they
would not coming and see me.
00:42:16.77\00:42:20.97
I still forgave him,
00:42:21.00\00:42:23.47
but they never had
that opportunity to sit
00:42:23.51\00:42:27.81
and for us to talk,
00:42:27.84\00:42:30.35
and for me to
actually forgive them for that.
00:42:30.38\00:42:35.05
You see, Jesus is
the great forgiver.
00:42:35.08\00:42:38.62
And he says that David
was a man after his own heart
00:42:38.65\00:42:42.59
because David
was a great forgiver.
00:42:42.62\00:42:46.39
I remember one time, a
young doctor and his wife
00:42:46.43\00:42:49.16
came to visit with
me, and there were,
00:42:49.20\00:42:53.50
they had a great problem that
had come up in their marriage.
00:42:53.54\00:42:58.07
The doctor been
unfaithful, in fact,
00:42:58.11\00:43:01.91
honestly he had been
multiple times unfaithful.
00:43:01.94\00:43:05.91
It didn't seem like there
was a nurse at the hospital,
00:43:05.95\00:43:08.35
he hadn't been with
them sometime or another.
00:43:08.38\00:43:11.32
But he had found
Jesus and he determent
00:43:11.35\00:43:15.92
that he was
laying all of this aside,
00:43:15.96\00:43:20.36
and then he then
confessed his sin to his wife.
00:43:20.40\00:43:24.00
Now I'm going to
tell you the truth,
00:43:24.03\00:43:26.67
if he had come to me
first I would have said,
00:43:26.70\00:43:29.77
"Let's confess this to God
00:43:29.80\00:43:31.31
and let's don't confess
it any further than that
00:43:31.34\00:43:34.44
because all you're
gonna do if you go confess
00:43:34.48\00:43:37.65
all the
husbands of those nurses,
00:43:37.68\00:43:40.78
you're going to be
causing a lot of problem.
00:43:40.82\00:43:42.98
And if you
confess your own wife,
00:43:43.02\00:43:46.49
you're gonna be
causing a major problem
00:43:46.52\00:43:48.72
and laying a burden on her. "
00:43:48.76\00:43:52.26
Yes, David says,
00:43:52.29\00:43:53.90
"You've sinned
against God and him alone. "
00:43:53.93\00:43:57.53
And then, I know there's
a lot of argue about this,
00:43:57.57\00:44:00.40
this not the way that
most people were intrepid this,
00:44:00.44\00:44:03.91
but that's how what I
would have said to him.
00:44:03.94\00:44:05.91
Now he had a real problem,
00:44:05.94\00:44:08.04
he had laid that guilt
and that burden upon this wife
00:44:08.08\00:44:12.55
who had no idea that
this has taken place.
00:44:12.58\00:44:17.89
He's buzzer went off, he
was on call at the hospital,
00:44:17.92\00:44:22.32
he was a major surgeon.
00:44:22.36\00:44:25.66
He went to the other room,
00:44:25.69\00:44:27.03
he used my phone to
call into the hospital,
00:44:27.06\00:44:29.83
it was before
people who running around
00:44:29.86\00:44:32.07
with the cell phones.
00:44:32.10\00:44:35.50
And I said to her,
00:44:35.54\00:44:39.27
"I'm hoping that you
can find it in your heart
00:44:39.31\00:44:43.71
to forgive him. "
00:44:43.75\00:44:45.08
Se says, "I'll
never forgive him. "
00:44:45.11\00:44:48.08
I said, "Now, the Bible says
00:44:48.12\00:44:50.22
you actually have
ground for the divorce,
00:44:50.25\00:44:52.95
you could divorce him.
00:44:52.99\00:44:55.26
But you don't have
grounds not to forgive.
00:44:55.29\00:44:59.19
That's not part of it. "
00:44:59.23\00:45:02.33
She says, "I will
never divorce him,
00:45:02.36\00:45:05.50
I've put him
through medical school,
00:45:05.53\00:45:07.34
I've put him through
getting all the special degrees
00:45:07.37\00:45:11.14
that he has, and now he's
ready to start making money,
00:45:11.17\00:45:14.11
you think I
gonna divorce him now?
00:45:14.14\00:45:15.98
Absolutely not.
00:45:16.01\00:45:17.65
But I'll never forgive him. "
00:45:17.68\00:45:20.65
I said, "That makes me sad. "
00:45:20.68\00:45:23.49
She said, "Why?"
00:45:23.52\00:45:25.52
"Because you've just excluded
yourself from the kingdom
00:45:25.55\00:45:29.29
according to the word,
according to God's word,
00:45:29.32\00:45:34.00
'Forgive us our debts as
we forgive our debtors. '
00:45:34.03\00:45:36.97
If you not willing to
forgive, you can divorce,
00:45:37.00\00:45:42.14
but you have no
right not to forgive.
00:45:42.17\00:45:45.01
Even if you have divorced
someone, you must forgive. "
00:45:45.04\00:45:50.38
Doesn't mean you have to
go back in to the marriage,
00:45:50.41\00:45:53.38
but it does mean
that you have to forgive.
00:45:53.42\00:45:58.55
And now you have told
me that you cannot forgive.
00:45:58.59\00:46:04.99
She never told me
whether she forgive it not,
00:46:05.03\00:46:07.10
she didn't stay with him.
00:46:07.13\00:46:08.56
They had actually a very
good marriage all this year.
00:46:08.60\00:46:11.87
I stay in touch with them,
00:46:11.90\00:46:13.54
and they've had a
very good marriage.
00:46:13.57\00:46:15.27
They're wonderful
people, fantastic people.
00:46:15.30\00:46:18.17
He is a fabulous doctor, I
would go to him in a minute.
00:46:18.21\00:46:22.01
I would go to
him, as a councilor,
00:46:22.04\00:46:25.25
he's been down that road.
00:46:25.28\00:46:26.65
He got a lot help, he had,
00:46:26.68\00:46:28.75
he actually went
off little later on
00:46:28.78\00:46:31.52
and he felt like he
had a sexual addiction,
00:46:31.55\00:46:35.79
and he took a course
for sexual addiction.
00:46:35.82\00:46:40.40
And I believed
that he has succeeded
00:46:40.43\00:46:45.00
in turning his
life around completely.
00:46:45.03\00:46:48.84
Yes, the Bible tell
us, that we must forgive,
00:46:48.87\00:46:53.81
we must forgive, if we
are should to be forgiven.
00:46:53.84\00:46:58.95
Matthew 6, we
find the Lord's prayer,
00:46:58.98\00:47:02.62
it's a beautiful prayer,
it's a prayer that is the model,
00:47:02.65\00:47:07.12
"Our Father which art in heaven,
00:47:07.16\00:47:08.82
hallowed be thy name.
00:47:08.86\00:47:11.59
Thy kingdom come, Thy
will be done in earth,
00:47:11.63\00:47:14.76
as it is in heaven.
00:47:14.80\00:47:17.07
Give us this day our daily bread
00:47:17.10\00:47:20.74
and forgive us our debts,
00:47:20.77\00:47:24.37
as we forgive our debtors,
00:47:24.41\00:47:30.31
and lead us not into temptation,
00:47:30.35\00:47:33.25
but deliver us from
evil, for thine is the kingdom,
00:47:33.28\00:47:38.42
and the power, and
the glory, for ever. "
00:47:38.45\00:47:44.29
Lead us not into temptation,
00:47:44.33\00:47:49.26
but if I forgive
00:47:49.30\00:47:55.04
that I can be forgiven.
00:47:55.07\00:47:57.34
Now, forgiveness is
the one complete sign
00:47:57.37\00:48:01.58
and seal of our
being forgiven by God.
00:48:01.61\00:48:05.61
We've been forgiven by
God and we know we have,
00:48:05.65\00:48:08.22
we expect His forgiveness,
00:48:08.25\00:48:10.85
a natural reaction
now is for us to forgive.
00:48:10.89\00:48:17.63
If you want to know whether
00:48:17.66\00:48:20.06
you have this
Spirit of the Lord or not,
00:48:20.10\00:48:22.86
then all you
have to do is to say,
00:48:22.90\00:48:26.63
"Do I have a forgiving Spirit,
00:48:26.67\00:48:29.20
" because if we
don't have forgiving spirit
00:48:29.24\00:48:32.07
were not filled with
the spirit of our Lord
00:48:32.11\00:48:35.61
and savior Jesus Christ.
00:48:35.64\00:48:38.01
As I said earlier,
there is no place in the Bible
00:48:38.05\00:48:41.42
where Jesus ever
resents the words
00:48:41.45\00:48:45.79
that he said that
if we don't forgive,
00:48:45.82\00:48:50.26
we are not forgiven.
00:48:50.29\00:48:52.79
And it's amazing how many times,
00:48:52.83\00:48:54.86
so many of us who
are old time Christians,
00:48:54.90\00:48:58.27
been Christians
for lot of years,
00:48:58.30\00:49:01.00
we're still harbouring
something from way back.
00:49:01.04\00:49:05.27
And you know it's not
the meritorious grounds
00:49:05.31\00:49:07.84
by which we're saved,
we're not save by forgiveness.
00:49:07.88\00:49:11.65
Forgiveness is the
result of being saved
00:49:11.68\00:49:14.68
and being forgiven.
00:49:14.72\00:49:16.05
We're saved only
by the blood of Jesus,
00:49:16.08\00:49:17.89
we talked about that yesterday.
00:49:17.92\00:49:20.26
His death upon the cross.
00:49:20.29\00:49:23.76
And forgiveness is
not the way we are saved,
00:49:23.79\00:49:28.53
but it is the
result of our being saved.
00:49:28.56\00:49:35.07
You know, there's so
many beautiful stories
00:49:35.10\00:49:36.97
of forgiveness in the Bible.
00:49:37.01\00:49:38.74
Jacob had just completely stolen
00:49:38.77\00:49:41.84
the birthright form Esau.
00:49:41.88\00:49:43.21
Now, we always look at Esau.
00:49:43.24\00:49:45.05
Well, he didn't deserve
it, he didn't deserve that.
00:49:45.08\00:49:47.55
That I didn't
justify with Jacob did.
00:49:47.58\00:49:52.79
God could have
figured it out of way,
00:49:52.82\00:49:55.72
for Jacob to receive
that without his receiving
00:49:55.76\00:50:00.50
his brother Esau the way he did.
00:50:00.53\00:50:02.80
And his father,
receiving his father,
00:50:02.83\00:50:05.20
stealing from his brother.
00:50:05.23\00:50:08.64
And finally he
goes to meet Esau off,
00:50:08.67\00:50:13.27
and he know
that night before he,
00:50:13.31\00:50:16.71
because let me tell you,
00:50:16.75\00:50:18.08
asking forgiveness is
sometimes extremely difficult.
00:50:18.11\00:50:21.52
And he's going
to ask forgiveness.
00:50:21.55\00:50:25.39
And the story is so beautiful.
00:50:25.42\00:50:28.62
Esau, now you will think
00:50:28.66\00:50:31.23
Esau was not thought
of as the religious one,
00:50:31.26\00:50:35.10
and yet Esau that
runs toward his brother.
00:50:35.13\00:50:39.53
Grabs hold of him,
00:50:39.57\00:50:41.84
hugs him and tell him
that he is forgiven him.
00:50:41.87\00:50:48.51
What is story?
00:50:48.54\00:50:50.01
When you look at
that biblical story.
00:50:50.05\00:50:52.01
We look it Joseph, his
brother sold him into slavery.
00:50:52.05\00:50:55.88
You can imagine that
all the way to Egypt,
00:50:55.92\00:50:58.15
he's thinking
about how he is gonna
00:50:58.19\00:50:59.59
get back at those boys,
00:50:59.62\00:51:01.62
but then
somewhere alone the line
00:51:01.66\00:51:03.93
the lord entrees
his heart in such away
00:51:03.96\00:51:07.30
and he begin to accept
what has happened is God's will
00:51:07.33\00:51:12.73
and he starts to
look for God's providence
00:51:12.77\00:51:15.60
to open the door, and he does.
00:51:15.64\00:51:18.07
You remember, he goes from jail.
00:51:18.11\00:51:21.21
Oh, wow, you think this
is going from bad to worse.
00:51:21.24\00:51:25.88
And then from jail,
00:51:25.91\00:51:28.32
God releases him,
00:51:28.35\00:51:33.52
forgiveness.
00:51:33.56\00:51:36.32
Being forgiven by God
and exercising forgiveness.
00:51:36.36\00:51:42.63
When I was a little young boy,
00:51:42.66\00:51:45.63
I began here a story
that had happen in our family.
00:51:45.67\00:51:52.27
My father, John Robert,
00:51:52.31\00:51:55.34
my father was
John Wesley Gilley,
00:51:55.38\00:51:58.01
his father, my grandfather
was John Robert Gilley.
00:51:58.05\00:52:02.68
He lived, was born in the 1800s.
00:52:02.72\00:52:06.32
And he was a
hardworking ambitious,
00:52:06.35\00:52:09.39
young man in his 30's,
00:52:09.42\00:52:12.29
he was already the chief deputy
for the Sheriff's department,
00:52:12.33\00:52:16.03
but he also had his small form
00:52:16.06\00:52:18.30
that he was making
fairly good living with that.
00:52:18.33\00:52:21.57
He was a very
industrious individual,
00:52:21.60\00:52:24.24
and he had invested
in other peace of land
00:52:24.27\00:52:28.78
that he thought would be
someday worth some money.
00:52:28.81\00:52:33.21
He farm it the mean time,
but he had some other thoughts
00:52:33.25\00:52:37.19
because he had heard roomers
about what might be there.
00:52:37.22\00:52:43.93
One night, it was Christmas eve,
00:52:43.96\00:52:47.46
a neighbor came
and file the complain
00:52:47.50\00:52:53.37
against a lot of workers
00:52:53.40\00:52:56.50
that worked right next
to his form, at their form,
00:52:56.54\00:52:59.97
there were
drinking a legal liquor,
00:53:00.01\00:53:03.78
and they were also
creating a lot of other noise,
00:53:03.81\00:53:08.98
there were doing gambling,
00:53:09.02\00:53:10.35
they were doing
all sorts of things,
00:53:10.39\00:53:11.79
these workers were.
00:53:11.82\00:53:13.79
And here was a complaint.
00:53:13.82\00:53:16.73
My grandfather probably know
00:53:16.76\00:53:18.66
that something like
that was going on over there
00:53:18.69\00:53:20.90
but there had been no complain,
00:53:20.93\00:53:22.56
now there was and he had to act.
00:53:22.60\00:53:25.37
He had no deputy go with him
00:53:25.40\00:53:27.80
so he deputized
his brother-in-law.
00:53:27.84\00:53:31.57
Now you know if
you've were watched
00:53:31.61\00:53:33.44
any of the old westerns,
00:53:33.48\00:53:35.01
and this was old western
time back in the early 1900s,
00:53:35.04\00:53:41.18
that he had a fistful of badges,
00:53:41.22\00:53:43.95
and the brought one of them out,
00:53:43.99\00:53:45.92
deputized his brother-in-law,
biggest mistake he ever made.
00:53:45.95\00:53:51.86
When he got there,
they arrested this fellows
00:53:51.89\00:53:53.93
and they start
taking then to town,
00:53:53.96\00:53:55.93
and the man who own the
farm caught up with him.
00:53:55.96\00:54:01.90
He'd been
drinking, he wasn't drunk
00:54:01.94\00:54:06.07
but he definitely
unpaired his judgment.
00:54:06.11\00:54:10.38
He pulled the
gun on my grandfather
00:54:10.41\00:54:12.88
and he said, you're
gonna release these men.
00:54:12.91\00:54:14.78
Now my grandfather had a
gun pulled on him before,
00:54:14.82\00:54:17.62
he know that it he can
talk his way through this
00:54:17.65\00:54:20.16
and calm this neighbor down,
and explain to him that this,
00:54:20.19\00:54:24.33
they were just
be taken in, charge,
00:54:24.36\00:54:26.56
and then he can bring him
back out, he may might have to.
00:54:26.59\00:54:28.96
And he said, "I don't
wanna put up any kind of bond. "
00:54:29.00\00:54:33.47
My grandfather
00:54:33.50\00:54:36.47
was slowly trying
to work through this.
00:54:36.50\00:54:41.04
But Wesley, his brother-in-law
00:54:41.08\00:54:45.48
had never had that
kind of experience.
00:54:45.51\00:54:48.05
He got around behind
the man and took his pistol,
00:54:48.08\00:54:52.19
long barrel pistol,
and try to strike him,
00:54:52.22\00:54:55.22
to hit him to
knock him unconscious,
00:54:55.26\00:54:58.29
instead the gun went
off and it killed him.
00:54:58.33\00:55:02.96
My grandfather realized
00:55:03.00\00:55:06.30
that he had made
a terrible mistaken
00:55:06.33\00:55:08.74
in bringing this man with him.
00:55:08.77\00:55:11.54
That night my dad said,
00:55:11.57\00:55:14.88
and my dad was 12
years old that time.
00:55:14.91\00:55:17.35
He said it was so
quite in that house.
00:55:17.38\00:55:21.02
And then our
friend, a neighbor had died,
00:55:21.05\00:55:26.76
and someone in that
room was responsible.
00:55:26.79\00:55:30.23
Few weeks later they
were going to the county seat
00:55:30.26\00:55:32.56
because was going
to be investigated,
00:55:32.59\00:55:37.67
he would be
cleared or not cleared
00:55:37.70\00:55:40.84
at a hearing that day.
00:55:40.87\00:55:42.90
As they went along
on their buckboard,
00:55:42.94\00:55:45.71
all of a sudden
00:55:45.74\00:55:48.11
a man stuck a shot gun,
00:55:48.14\00:55:53.08
double barreled shot gun
out the door and he shot him.
00:55:53.11\00:56:00.02
He shot my
grandfather by mistake.
00:56:00.06\00:56:03.89
He meant to get,
he injured slightly,
00:56:03.93\00:56:09.16
but he killed my
grandfather almost instantly.
00:56:09.20\00:56:14.14
This matter
finally came to a trial.
00:56:14.17\00:56:18.87
When this was a
very wealthy family,
00:56:18.91\00:56:23.11
they paid of few people.
00:56:23.14\00:56:24.65
I met a man one day
that was about my dad aged,
00:56:24.68\00:56:29.75
going to school together
00:56:29.78\00:56:31.19
and he was
riding in a wagon behind
00:56:31.22\00:56:34.16
and he had seen what to place.
00:56:34.19\00:56:36.66
And he told me, a lot
of money changes hands.
00:56:36.69\00:56:41.63
And this man, we got only
got six month jails sentence
00:56:41.66\00:56:45.13
and a small $500 fine
for killing a police officer,
00:56:45.17\00:56:50.07
killing my
father, my grandfather.
00:56:50.11\00:56:54.11
Years later dad had a
chance to shoot that man,
00:56:54.14\00:56:57.48
but he didn't do it.
00:56:57.51\00:56:59.18
And then, years after that
00:56:59.21\00:57:01.12
he I would
together on the square,
00:57:01.15\00:57:02.92
and he
introduced to me to a man,
00:57:02.95\00:57:05.29
and they want that man left,
I said, "Dad, who was that?"
00:57:05.32\00:57:09.29
He said, "That was the
man, they killed your father. "
00:57:09.32\00:57:14.40
And I know that my dad
00:57:14.43\00:57:16.80
had actually
forgive him that man.
00:57:16.83\00:57:21.60
"Forgive us our debt
00:57:21.64\00:57:23.81
as we forgive our debtors. "
00:57:23.84\00:57:28.01